Does Middle School Grades Matter For Colleges /High School
Does Middle School Grades Matter For Colleges /High School? Yes, it’s true! They don’t count towards high school/ college credits, but they count in other ways. Students need very high grades in middle school to improve the likelihood of earning high grades in high school.
A lot of students believe that only what they did in high school matters to their college application, and that’s not necessarily the case. A lot of what you did in middle school may actually have an effect on your life, high school grades, and overall application.
Do Colleges Look At Middle School Grades?
No. Colleges don’t look at middle school grades when weighing a student’s application. College admission officers are able to get enough information from high school grades to make an informed decision on which students to accept. Colleges mostly focus on your high school GPA, ACT/SAT scores, and extracurricular activities. Your middle school grades will not even be a part of your college application.
What You can Do to Prepare for College In Middle School
1. Practice Good Study Habits
Rather than focusing on just your grades, it’s important to start practicing and developing good study habits sooner than later. Learning what study style works best for you will improve your grades on assignments and tests. High schools have rigorous course loads and so do colleges.
2. Start Thinking of Potential Colleges
The best way to prepare for college is to know the expectations and statistics. To do this, you can begin looking into what colleges you would like to attend. Selecting few schools means you can familiarize yourself with their faculty, programs, admissions statistics, and tuition.
3. Start Saving
College can be expensive, so it’s never too early to save up. While financial aid and scholarships are available, many students still need to take on a lot of debt to pay for their education. Putting away a few dollars here and there can add up and make a difference in the long run.
4. Get Involved in Extracurricular Activities
While college applications don’t ask for your middle school grades, they look at extracurricular activities you participate in. Joining a sports team or a club in middle school and staying involved throughout high school demonstrates dedication and reliability. These are qualities that college admissions committees look for in applicants.
How Do Middle School Grades Affect College Applications?
#1. Tests scores
Some colleges look at are your AP, SAT and ACT tests scores. Even though there is a shift towards Test-Optional and Test-Blind in college applications, both the SAT and ACT test scores are used as tools to measure a student’s skills and academic knowledge. That means it might be in your best interest to plan, study, and prep for these standardized tests.
#2. Grades & GPA
One thing colleges do look at are your high school grades and GPA. Both of these metrics, which take four years to build, are strongly taken into consideration when deciding if a student will be admitted. Admission officers are looking at the rigor of your high school classes, as well as your academic achievement in subjects throughout your entire high school career.
#3. Writing
There are several different writing prompts required in college applications, ranging from the Personal Statement to various supplemental essays, all dependent on the school you’re applying to.
